European Union to debate plans for quotas on women in the boardroom

Justice Commissioner wants to make it mandatory for companies to reserve 40 per cent of seats for woman

European Union commissioners will debate proposals to force quotas to ensure women get onto corporate boards this Tuesday.

The Justice Commissioner, Viviane Reding, is in favour of proposals for companies to have to reserve 40 per cent of seats for women.

However several countries, including the UK, who are aiming to have a 25 per cent quotas for women in the boardroom, are opposed to the plans, which could make gender quotas compulsory across all 27 countries which make up the EU.

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The latest debate comes after the European Parliament criticised the lack of female candidates for the European Central Bank (ECB).

A parliamentary committee then called on the European Council to withdraw the candidacy of Luxembourg's Yves Mersch for the ECB executive board, as if he were appointed the board would be all male until 2018.

Taking to Twitter, Reding said: 'Of course, there will be some opposition. But Europe has a lot to gain from more diverse corporate boards.

'The European Parliament has called for action to get more women into boardrooms. The time to act is now.'

At present less than 15 per cent of board positions in EU member states are held by women.

What do you think about the possibility of compulsory quotas to get women onto boards? Let us know in the comments below.

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